I am a male. By birth date is 04/23/1945. I expect to work…

The option that I am still trying to get straigt is:

Can my spouse file on her own now, Yes, since she is 62.

collect her discounted amount Yes.

and me file and suspend, You would not file and suspend unless she wanted her SPOUSAL benefit - and you have to be full retirement age, which I believe you are? So you COULD file and suspect so she can get the greater spousal amount.

and collect on her sposual benefit? I think you mean can you collect YOUR spousal benefit on her record? You should not need to file for your own for that since you are of FRA. If she is already collecting hers, you should be able to collect your spousal on her record while allowing your own uncollected benefit to grow til 70.

(1) How much would our combined monthly amount be? I don't do that math well (I use an accountant whenever necessary for clients), sorry! Not to mention, each of you stands alone. But suffice it to say that if she takes HER own at 62, about 75% of PIA which you said was going to be $550 after reduction. If she were to take spousal because you filed and suspended, she'd get Spousal at about 35% of your PIA of $2700+. And if you take your spousal NOW, that would typically be 50% of her $550, so about $225. Then later, at age 70, yours would change to that $3300.

and (2) if we do that and I file at age 70 If you wait til 70, she can not take your spousal now, only her own... do the math but if she were getting 35% of 2700, it would be 945 vs. her own 550...

and she switches to my spousal benefit when she reaches her FRA (about 7 months after I reach 70) Spousal does NOT increase past PIA amount (it doesn't benefit from your DRCs you earn by YOU waiting til 70)...but, if she delayed ANY benefits til her FRA, she could get 50% of your PIA, or $1350.....for another option.

how much is that combined payment versus her just filing for spousal when she reaches FRA? See above, where we look at the different numbers. Let me know if it is still confusing. Let's hope our heads don't explode, lol, as it is easy to get very twisted with these rule.

Did you answer contain an option of my spouse filing now and suspending No, because she can not file and suspend option until she reaches FRA...

but me filing for spousal now, since I have reached now and does it have any future ramifications for me finling at age 70 and her filing for spusal at her FRA FRA. She can file now, so you can get Spousal, but she can not File and Suspend (F&S). If she waits til FRA, she can F&S, but remember that both of you can not F&S, only one spouse can.

I am leaving for an appointment, but I will check in on you later!

I am still a little confused or just thinking wistfully.

I assume that:

1. I cannot collect my spousal benefit on her account unless she files Yes.

2. Since I am over my FRA, if I collect on her account now (remember she just turned 62), I would collect 50% of her FRA, not 50% of her reduced amount. Yes. Yours is based on YOUR age and her PIA. Forgive if I was not clear, and (not being the math accountant here) I think I may have grabbed the wrong number of hers. Should be her PIA. Here is your code section:

3. If she collects at age 62 and then switches to spousal benefit when she is at her FRA (age 66), her spousal benefit on my account will suffer a reduction because she filed early. Yes.

Are the above true? Yes.

If they are, it would seem that the best thing to do is for her to file and suspend, so that when she gets to 66, she can get my full spousal benefit and once she files and suspends, I apply for spousal benefits now. If this strategy works, it seems the best way to maximize (assuming a long life span) because neither of us incur a reduction in the maximum benfits that we can ultimately receive and we can collect some benefit now. Is this correct or am I misinterrepting the rules?

thanks for your patience.